Scottish government invests £85 million to tackle delayed discharge

The plan will expand the Hospital at Home service to 2,000 beds by December next year and will introduce frailty services in every A&E department by the end of the summer. 

The Scottish government has announced an £85 million investment to address the issue of the delayed discharge of patients from hospital and to provide care for patients in their own homes.

The Hospital at Home service is to be expanded to 2,000 beds by December next year. It predominantly provides care for frail, older people in their own homes and who may be suffering from acute illnesses and health conditions, including respiratory and cardiac conditions, infections, or treatment after a fall.

The funding will also be used to support the introduction of frailty services in every A&E department by the end of this summer, which aims to cut the average length of stay for vulnerable patients.

“I am resolutely focused on taking the necessary action to reduce wait times and clear the blockages leading to delayed discharges across our NHS. This investment will ensure many patients can receive first-class NHS care in the comfort of their own homes and not have to travel to a hospital where it isn’t required,” said first minister John Swinney. 

Improvement plan 

The move is part of the Scottish government’s operational improvement plan, which was announced in March this year. The 2025-26 Budget provides funding of £21 billion for health and social care services, with NHS boards across Scotland to receive an additional £2 billion to deliver key front-line services.

The plan brings focus to four critical areas that the government has committed to deliver, specifically improving access to treatment, shifting the balance of care, improving access to health and social care services through digital and technological innovation, and prevention. 

Swiney continued to say that expanding Hospital at Home to 2,000 beds by December next year would “create the largest hospital in the country” and improve the flow of patients throughout the NHS and generate greater capacity for staff.